⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 7/10
The Roman Empire is one of those historical entities that almost everyone in the West knows something about, even if they are not really interested in history, per se. It has left us so many markers, and still infiltrates the modern world; ruins, latin phrases, legal principles. It is often looked back on as the first empire (it wasn’t), the largest empire (it wasn’t), or some sort of ideal state (it wasn’t). Sometimes it is seen as the epitome of rapine conquest; our modern eyes automatically taking a dislike to Roman military might, and the whole concept of slavery. The reality is, of course, much more subtle and complex.
In this book, Adrian Goldsworthy takes one well-known – and often wrongly-used – phrase as his focus; Pax Romana. He then asks a few seemingly straightforward questions. Did it actually exist? What was it? How did it come about? What did it mean for people within the empire, and those outside it? The answers are not quite so straightforward.
The book is roughly chronological, but within each section, there are chapters looking at the various stakeholders; the army, the politicians, the merchants, the enslaved, the rebels, and so on. The author takes us from the early Republic, right through to the Principiate, ending roughly in the Third Century CE. He covers the geographical areas within the state, but also those areas which never came under formal Roman rule. This is crucial, as it allows him to compare what life was like in both.
In the preface, the author makes an interesting parallel. In Europe, we tend to think of the time since the Second World War as a time of peace, and indeed, there is a lot of truth in that. But during that time, there have been innumerable ‘small’ conflicts in Europe alone, let alone in the rest of the world. So no one is pretending that the Pax Romana brought in a long period of complete peace; it didn’t. There is always conflict and war; it is a part of human nature.
The Romans were little different to their contemporaries. We sometimes have this romantic view that they were special or invincible. They weren’t. What they had was a different attitude. War, slavery and conquest were all a part of life in nearly all cultures at the time. What they had was a different view of the world; they looked into the future, not just the present. But they never drew up a grand plan of empire; it grew almost organically. Peace needed secure borders; the further away those borders were, the more secure the Roman heartland was.
The other difference was their attitude to other cultures. Although they thought themselves superior to everyone else, they also gave others the opportunity to join in. Local leaders were often left in place – as long as they were co-operative, of course. Local laws, customs and religions were tolerated – again, as long as they didn’t conflict with Roman ones. It is important to remember, that the concepts of nationality as we understand them did not exist. Most people looked to a local chief or ruler for their safety; who he gave allegiance to was of little concern to them. If being part of the Empire gave them increased security and opportunity, then they generally weren’t going to object.
The book is a tour through the Roman Empire; going from Britannia to the Middle East, from Hispania to Germania, using specific examples to illustrate the authors views. It looks at the different participants, from Emperors to rebels to see how their actions affected the development of the Empire. It does cover a lot of ground. As always with Goldsworthy, the writing is precise and accurate, and he makes his points clearly, with good supporting evidence.
My one small criticism is with the structure of the book. It almost has two axis; one chronological, the other by subject. This unfortunately means that occasionally the same event or record has to be repeated. But it is a minor grumble. Overall it’s a very good read. It is not a history of the creation of the Empire. It is an analysis of why and how it happened, and how it affected those people who came into contact with the ever-expanding state. Some were enslaved, expecially while the Empire was still expanding. Some found new opportunities. For many, life didn’t change that much.
Over time, much of the Empire did experience long periods of peace and increased prosperity, but it was never secure, and, ominously, as the Empire matured, much of the conflict emanated from within as rival politicians and generals vied for supreme power. The Pax Romana could do nothing to prevent these self-inflicted wounds.
This is a review of the Weidenfeld & Nicolson 2016 paperback edition.
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